Montgomery Community Media (MCM) covered Monday's rally outside Wootton High School, where more than 200 students, parents, and community members gathered to oppose MCPS's proposal to permanently relocate Wootton to Crown High School in Gaithersburg.

The video report featured my testimony to the Montgomery County Board of Education, which I delivered live from the rally with hundreds of community members standing behind me. MCM also interviewed me about the Rockville Mayor and Council's proposed Modified Recommendation, which seeks a solution that benefits students and communities throughout Montgomery County, not just Rockville.

As I emphasized in my testimony:

Rockville's Modified Recommendation offers a practical alternative that preserves much of the Superintendent's proposal while addressing serious long-term concerns. Under our approach, Crown would open as planned for students in its surrounding Gaithersburg neighborhoods, while Wootton and Magruder would remain permanent community high schools with defined paths toward modernization. Crown could also serve as a temporary holding school during those renovations.

Our goal is not to prioritize Rockville over Gaithersburg or any other community. It is to find a solution that supports the entire County. We can honor commitments to Crown families, address long-overdue renovations at Wootton and Magruder, and preserve valuable school capacity needed to accommodate future growth.

During my testimony, I also highlighted the importance of responsible long-term planning and the risks of making irreversible school closure decisions based on enrollment projections that may not adequately reflect future residential development.

The collaboration demonstrated by MCPS, first responders, educators, and families following the recent shooting at Wootton showed what our community can accomplish when we work together. I urged the Board to bring that same spirit of cooperation to these difficult school planning decisions.

I appreciate the hundreds of residents who came together to advocate for our schools and will continue working toward a solution that strengthens our entire public school system.

Watch the MCM report: Wootton Community Rallies to Keep School's Location,

by Maryam Shahzad, Montgomery Community Media, February 26, 2026.

Read my testimony: February 23, 2026, Board of Education Testimony.